Floor.



No. 662,376. Patented Nov. 20, |900. E. GEHSTY.V

FLOOR.

(Application led Dec. 12, 1899.r

(N o M o d e .5

lUNrrnD Sterns FFIQE0 EDWARD GOEI-IST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,376, dated November 20, 1900.

V Application tiled December l2, 1899. serial No. 7401093- (N0 mden To (rf/l whom t may concern.-

Be it known thatI, EDWARD GOEHST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floors, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate particularly to the method and means of binding together hardwood fiooring-boards to form a' border for a floor, the center boards of which may be of soft Wood and laid in the usual manner.

In the building or laying of ldoors as at present carried on it is common to form a border of fancy or hard wood, sometimes differentcolored Woods being used to give an ornamental finish or striped effect, While the center of the door, Which is covered by a rug or carpet, is laid with soft boards placed side by side in the usual manner. In laying the boards forming the border it is necessary to miter the corners,'and in order that the proper iinish may be given the boards must be planed after being laid to get rid of all ridges along the cracks and uneven places. This work must be done by hand and is therefore eX- pensive and troublesome, and it is to avoid these difficulties and provide for a better finish than can be secured by hand-Work that I have designed my improvements.

The manner of carrying out my improvements is shown in the accompanying drawings, Which form a part of this application, and in which Figure l is a bottom plan View of a section of a border made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the same inverted, showing one of the Wedges partly withdrawn; and Fig. 4 is a detail, on a larger scale than the preceding views, showing the relative positions of the Wedge and a board to which it is tted, the View being in perspective and only a portion of the board and the Wedge being shown.

Referring to thedraWings,a1-eprese11ts ordinary tongue-and-grooved door-boards, which are placed in juxtaposition to form asection of a border for a floor, the ends being suitably mitered to fit adjoining sections of a border. In the under side of these boards and extending transversely therethroughare formed atopposing angles grooves b, having beveled f edges and with a depth about one-third the thickness of the boards. The groove b is formed with a taper, the wider end of which is in the outer edge of the border d', which abut-s against the skirting or mop-board of a room, and the cross-diameter of the groove is greater at its top than at its bottom or open portion. Closely fitting the groove b isa beveled-edge Wedge c, which when driven home brings the boards o close together and prevents them from being displaced by lateral or end pressure and when two wedges are used, as shown, also prevents the separation of the boards by strain or pressure at right angles to their length. In practice the grooves will be formed in the boards at opposing angles, so that if continued they will meet, and Wedges will `be inserted at intervals throughout the length of the boards, so that the latter may be effectively bound together. When the border is placed in position in the Iioor, With the edge d' to the mopboard, it will be impossible to displace or dislodge the Wedges, as will be readily understood.

For some classes of Work and as an additional means of binding together the boards forming the border I bore transversely therethrough openings in which are inserted bolts CZ, having threads on one end to receive nuts e, which when screwed up Will force together boards the edges of which may be irregular and hold them securely in position.

If desired, the Wedges may be dipped in glue before being inserted in position.

In practice the borders will be made at the mill in suitable lengths, and after being formed or the boards bound together in the manner described the upper surface Will be run through a planer and the ends mitered by machinery, so that they Will be ready to lay as complete or integral parts of the door. By the use of my improvement it Will be unnecessary to nail each course of boards forming the border to the supporting-joist or the first floor, (in the case of a double tloor,) as it will be suii'cient to nail the board forming the inner course of the border. If pre- IOO the wedges and bolts being supplied for the said boards at opposing angles' to each other, purpose ofsecuringthem together in the manand Wedges adapted to ft said grooves, subner described. stantially as set forth. M Having thus described my invention, what In' testimony whereof I aixmy signature 5' I claim as new, and desire to obtain by Letters in the presence of two Witnesses.

Patent, is- T A border for doors, composed of a plurality f ED ARD GOEHST' of boards having tapering grooves formed in Witnesses: their lower sides, said groovesl having bev- PETER MALLEIs,

1o eied sides,and extendingtransversely through F. BENJAMIN. 

